Marine propeller.



In. 675,929. Patented )uns Il, I90I. J. D. BROWN.

UARINLPROPELLER.

(Applicltion led Feb. 2, 1901.)

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No. 675,929. Patented lune Il, |90l. J.' D. BRUWN.

MARINE. PRUPELLEB.

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JEREMIAH DUNN BROWN, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

MARINE PROPELLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent NO. 675,929, dated June 11, 1901.

Application filed February 2, 1901. Serial No. 45,6 74. (No model.)

To all whom it www concern:

Beit known that LJEREMIAH DUNN BROWN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Plainfield, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Marine Propulsion,of which the followingis a speciiication.

This invention relates to marine propellers; and it has for its objectto provide an improved mechanism of this class which shall be superiorin point of resultant speed, positiveness of operation, and generalefficiency.

In carrying out my invention I provide an endless chain orpaddle-carrier upon which the paddles are mounted and which travels oversprocket-wheels, which are arranged so that the paddles travel throughthe water in one phase of the movement of the endless chain or carrierand travel above the water in the return phase of the movement. Thesprocket-Wheels are actuated by a beam-engine or by any adapted motor.The sprocket- Wheels which carry the endless carrier are also providedwith paddles, which are arranged radially of the same With respect tothe spokes.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the hull of a ship, thehull being broken away at the side to disclose the improved propeller,which is mountedin a suitable compartment in t-he longitudinal center ofthe ship. Fig. 2 is a detail transverse sectional vieW taken through thepropeller-compartment upon the line 0c no, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detaildiametrical sectional view of one of the sprocket-Wheels. Fig. 4 is adetail plan View of a portion of the endless paddle-carrier. Fig. 5 is adetail side view of the same.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are denoted by the same referencecharacters.

1 designates my improved propeller, which comprises an endless chain orpaddle-carrier 2,Which is mounted operatively upon sprocketwheels 3 and4, respectively. Upon the endless carrier 2 are mounted a plurality ofpaddles 5, which in the operation of the propeller are brought to bearin motion upon the body of the Water. The sprocket-Wheels are arrangedwith their axes or shafts 6 above the level of the surface of the Water,and one or' both of the same may be actuated by the customarybeam-engine or any other suitable motive means. The propeller 1 may bearranged at any suitable point with respect to the hull of the boat; butthe preferable arrangement is that illustrated in the drawings, in whichthe propeller is shown as mounted within a propeller-compartment 7,which is formed in the longitudinal center of the hull of the ship andpreferably at the bow of the same. This compartment is provided with aclosed top S and with closed sides 9 and opens at the bottom, as at 10,through the keel of the ship, so that the Water may rise in thecompartment to a level, as at 1l, slightly below the shafts t' of thesprocket-wheel. The dimensions of the compartment and of thesprocket-wheels may be such that the endless carrier and the paddles areentirely housed within the compartment, as illustrated, and it is alsomanifest that if desired the paddles may project beneath the level ofthe keel of the ship. The sprocket-wheels 3 and 4 are thus arranged inthe central longitudinal plane of the ship, and the carrier thusoperates in the same plane and imparts its produced energy to the directpropulsion of the boat.

In the preferred form of construction the paddle-carrier 1 consists of asprocket-chain 11, with the alternate links of which the paddles 5 areconnected. The sprocket-chain 11 is preferably of double formation, andthe sprocket-wheels 3 and 4 are provided each with two series of teeth12, which take into the links of the double sprocket-chain. The links13, which carry the paddles 5, comprise link-pins 14 and threelongitudinal link-pieces 15, which are connected at their ends with thelink-pins 14. 'lhc paddle 5 of each link 13 is connected at one edge, asat 1G, with thelinkpieces 15 and extends transversely of the link,intermediate of the link-pins 14. Suitable brace-pieces 17 extendbetween the link-pins 14 and the lower edge portions of the paddles andprevent buckling and loosening of the same under the operative strainimposed upon the paddles. The links 18, which are arranged intermediateof the links 13, consist of linkpieces 19, which are connected with thelinkpins of the links 13 and are arranged in three pairs, thelink-pieces 19 of the respective pairs embracing the ends of thelink-pieces 15 of the links 13, as at 20, and having a pivotalconnection with said link-pins. By means of ICO the links 18 thesprocket-chain is free to pass about the sprocket-wheels, the links 13being rigid,'and the teeth 12 of the sprocket-wheels engage with thelink-pins 14, passing between the same and the link-pieces 19 of thelinks 18.

The paddles 5 preferably consist of straight or plain paddles 2Oa andcurved paddles 21, the curved paddles operating more effectively uponthe water and the straight or plain paddies enabling the movement of theboat to be reversed by back-paddling.

The sprocket-wheels 3 and 4 are preferably provided with laterally-broadspokes 22,which serve as paddles to supplement the operation of thepaddles 5.

23 designates chain-adj usting means whereby the chain may be tightenedor loosened, as desired, and said chain-adjusting means consists, in thepreferred form of construction, of adouble sprocket-wheel 21,which ismounted upon a crank-shaft 25, arranged transversely of the compartment7, beneath the upper portion of the endless chain. The doublesprocket-wheel 21 is provided with two series of sprocket-teeth 26,which take into the lin ks 18 of the endless chain. One end of thecrankshaft 25 is provided within the boat and eX- teriorly of thecompartment J with locking means 27, and said locking means may consistof a ratchet-disk 28 and a suitable pawl 29, arranged for operation inconnection with the same. The crank-shaft 25 may be provided at one endwith an operating-wheel 30, whereby the sprocket-wheel 24 maybe raisedor lowered to tighten the endless chain 2.

The operation and advantages of lny improved propeller wll be readilyunderstood by those skilled in the art to which it appertains. Theendless chain or carrier2 is moved longitudinally of the ship by thesprocketwheels 3 and 4, upon which it is supported, and the said chainin its lower and rearward phase of movement brings the paddles 5 to bearupon the water in or beneath the compartment 7 and forces the boatforwardly with enhanced speed. The combined bearing-surfaces of thepaddles 5 which are at any one time in contact with the water arerelatively greater than the bearing-surfaces of the paddles of theordinary paddle-wheel, and the results obtained are therefore relativelysuperior in point of speed of the ship and positiveness of operation.

By means of the adjusting means 23 the chain may be kept at all timestight and in perfect operative condition. The paddles 22, which comprisethe spokes of the sprocketwheels 3 and 4, assist materially in thepropulsion of the boat. The curved form of the paddles 21 causes arelativelyincreased positiveness of operation and the straight or plainpaddles 20 permit of positive back-paddling. The braced relation of thepaddles and the endless chain, resulting from the arrangement of thebraces 17, gives the whole propeller construction a rigidity andpositiveness of operation not otherwise attained.

l do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the details ofconstruction and arrangementas herein described and illustrated, as itis manifest that variations and modifications may be made in thefeatures of construction and arrangement and in the adaptation of thedevice to various conditions of use without departing from the spiritand scope of my invention andimprovements. I therefore reserve the rightto all such variations and modifications as properly fall within thescope of my invention and the terms of the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent- 1. An improved marine propeller, comprising asuitably-supported endless carrier provided with alternately-arrangedcurved and plain paddles.

2. An improved marine propeller', comprising a suitably-supportedendless carrier and paddles mounted upon the same, said endless carrierconsisting of a sprocket-chain supported upon sprocket-wheels, thepaddles being connected with the links of the sprocketchain, and thesprocket- Wheels being provided with interior radially-arrangedsupplemental paddles.

In testimony whereof l have signed my name in the presence of thesubscribing witnesses.

JEREMIAH DUNN BROVN.

Witnesses:

GEORGE BALL, WILLIAM R. MATToX.

